Wang Ben obediently lowered his head.
Zhao Yuanxi’s voice softened slightly, “You may investigate the case, but you are not permitted to torture them. You may come to me with any questions at any time.”
“Yes, Your Majesty!” Wang Ben’s face, obscured by his thick beard, showed a hint of helplessness.
You suddenly exclaimed, “Your Majesty, your injury!”
Blood was now seeping from Zhao Yuanxi’s back shoulder. Previously, the situation had been too tense for her to feel the pain, but now she ached everywhere—her arms, her back, even her head.
Painful as it was, she couldn’t lose face.
“It’s nothing. I’ll apply some medicine later.”
Zhao Yuanxi waved her hand and said to Zhang Han, “I leave the three injured men in your care. Also, regarding A Yu’s funeral arrangements, ask Gao Sheng for ten gold coins. Bury him properly and send the remaining money to his family.”
“Thank you, Your Majesty!” The five men, tears in their eyes, bowed in unison.
After making the arrangements, Zhao Yuanxi looked weary and followed You back to her bedchamber.
The lights in the bedchamber were still on.
Zhao Yuanxi yawned, but when she looked up, she noticed the little one was missing from the bed. She asked, “Where is Ziying?”
Could the child have run off in the middle of the night?
The palace maid guarding the door trembled with fear. “Ziying’s teacher came for him, and the young master left with him.”
Zhao Yuanxi nodded. Since his teacher had come, she, as his guardian, had no objections. However, she would need to have a thorough discussion with the teacher tomorrow about Ziying’s education.
…
You carefully reapplied medicine to the Empress Dowager’s wound. Seeing that she had already fallen asleep, she covered her with the quilt and tiptoed out of the room.
That night, Zhao Yuanxi had many nightmares. She dreamed of a man chasing her, someone snatching Ziying away, and even her cheap son, high on drugs, shouting and trying to kill her.
“Your Majesty! Your Majesty!”
Zhao Yuanxi felt a severe headache as she sat up, massaging her temples. Hiss—
A cold breeze made her realize she was drenched in sweat.
The dream felt so real—as if she had run over ten thousand miles in her sleep. Her entire body ached, her back sore and stiff.
You brought over a cup of warm water, gently wiping the sweat from her forehead. “Your Majesty had nightmares last night, didn’t you?” she asked with concern.
Zhao Yuanxi took a large gulp of water to calm herself, finally feeling like she had come back to life. “Yes! It terrified me!The Empress Dowager’s distressed expression made You both feel heartbroken and somewhat amused.
Usually, the Empress Dowager appeared gentle and mature like an elder, but it turned out she had a childish side too.
Her mood shifted quickly—coming and going in waves. Zhao Yuanxi soon composed herself and casually asked, “Is Ziying awake yet?”
While helping her dress, You replied, “No one has come from Lan Tai yet. I will send someone to inquire about Young Master Ziying’s condition. However, word came from the side hall this morning that the guard named A Ji woke up last night. He expressed a desire to see you, but Yu Physician stopped him from leaving.”
“That was the right decision. Since he’s injured, he should focus on recovering. What’s the point in seeing me?” Zhao Yuanxi fiddled with her long hair, feeling somewhat troubled.
If it weren’t for the prohibition against cutting hair here, she would have already chopped off this waist-length hair instead of spending half an hour every day dealing with it.
You gently combed through Zhao Yuanxi’s hair. “Your Majesty saved his life. It’s no wonder he wants to see you.”
“It’s alright, I can head over in a bit.” Zhao Yuanxi gazed at the neatly styled reflection in the mirror and sincerely praised, “You, your hands are truly skillful. What would I do without you?”
“If Your Majesty enjoys it, this humble servant would be glad to dress your hair for a lifetime.” You’s cheeks flushed pink, her eyes sparkling.
Zhao Yuanxi patted You’s head. “That won’t do. What’s the point of styling my hair every day? With skills like yours, You, you ought to open a hairstyling shop! Let all the noble ladies in the world witness your craftsmanship. You could even sell the rouge and powder you make yourself—you’d become the world’s first beauty shop owner!”
You’s lips parted slightly. Seeing the Empress Dowager smiling, she too began to laugh.
“Silly You, did you even understand what I said?” Zhao Yuanxi was just rambling playfully, and seeing You’s innocent, foolish grin, she teased her.
“This servant is dull-witted and doesn’t grasp the meaning of ‘beauty makeup,’ but if it pertains to women’s hair styling, applying makeup, or powdering faces, I do know a little. However, running a shop—this servant has no such capability.”
“Everyone has their strengths, and You is already quite remarkable. If you ever have such an idea, I could lend you a hand.”
Zhao Yuanxi might not have much else, but she did have a bit of money.
Though Zhao Ji had been expelled from Xianyang Palace, the privileges she enjoyed remained unchanged. Moreover, having served as Empress Dowager for so many years, she had accumulated substantial savings—and that didn’t even account for the money she spent on her male favorites.
Without a moment’s hesitation, You replied, “This servant only wishes to serve by the Empress Dowager’s side.”
Since she put it that way, Zhao Yuanxi didn’t press further, though a new idea began to form in her mind.
She had money, but there were plenty of expenses—especially since she planned to expand her agricultural ventures extensively. The seeds she currently had fell far short of her needs.
While the system provided good seeds, she couldn’t rely solely on it. She intended to assemble her own seed resource team to collect seeds from various regions, and all of this required funds.
Unfortunately, she hadn’t yet found someone to help her generate income—ideally, a major merchant who could travel the world!
Perhaps she could borrow someone from her nominal son?
But recalling Zhao Ji’s experiences, Zhao Yuanxi immediately dismissed the thought.
If her nominal son heard she was looking for a major merchant, he would surely think of Lü Buwei. What if he got carried away—
Zhao Yuanxi shook her head, trying to erase the image of her nominal son beheading people in her dreams. She took a deep breath. “Let’s go, let’s visit them.”
When A Ji woke up this morning, he heard Brother Zhang Han recount the events of the previous night.
He never expected to survive, let alone that the one who saved him would be the Empress Dowager.
He didn’t have any particular impression of the Empress Dowager.
Over the past couple of days, aside from being surprised by her expertise in agriculture, he hadn’t developed any additional feelings. Protecting her was merely part of his duty.
A Ji stared blankly at the ceiling above, lost in thought. He wanted to see the Empress Dowager again, to understand why she had gone to such lengths to save him.
“You’re quite resilient! I thought you’d be unconscious for days!” Zhao Yuanxi remarked, looking at the young man on the bed who had regained some color in his face, unable to conceal her delight.
That voice—A Ji turned his head. It was the same voice he had heard while unconscious.
Zhao Yuanxi walked in against the light, making him momentarily believe he was seeing a celestial being. His lips trembled, and it took him a while to stammer out four words: “Empress Dowager!”
It was really her.
“Why are you crying? Is the moxibustion smoke in the room too strong?” Zhao Yuanxi fanned some air toward him. “Though the smell is unpleasant, you’ll have to endure it for the sake of your health.”
There was no helping it – these were the conditions they had. Zhao Yuanxi couldn’t magically produce a sterilized hospital room for him.